Imbert unveils traffic goodies for Diego residents

mong the new initatives announced by Imbert yesterday are:

1) Two Pedestrian walkovers to allow persons from Powder Magazine to walk in safety over the Diego Martin Highway down to a safe and secure footpath taking them to another pedestrian overpass, which would take them to the West Mall facility

2) Another Pedestrian overpass taking people from Powder Magazine Phase 1 to the area of the Paragon Club. Imbert said the construction of all these overpasses would start in two to three months.

3) Widening of the Diego Martin Main Road in the area of Starlite Shopping Plaza.
Imbert said there would be land acquisition involved. He also said lay-bys would be created for maxi-taxis so that they can drop off and pick up passengers without interfering with the smooth flow of traffic.

4) A pedestrian overpass at the Four Roads Junction to allow people to get to the other side safely.

5) Consequently the traffic lights at the intersection at Morne Coco Road would be removed, Imbert said.

Asked specifically what land would be acquired, Imbert said that currently the lay-bys were designed to extend from the end of Starlite Shopping Plaza to the Morne Coco Junction. He said however, Government may have to acquire Suares Supermarket because it intends to widen the intersection which comes from Morne Coco Road onto the Diego Martin Main Road and create some “slip lanes.” “But we have to talk to the owner (of the supermarket) first,” he said.

Imbert also said that if required Government would extend the lay-bys into the Starlite Shopping Plaza carpark.

Speaking earlier, Imbert had stated that it was not Government’s intention to allow land acquisition to obstruct, or unnecessarily delay highway projects in the future. “We intend to ensure that the procedures set down in the law are properly applied with adequate compensation paid promptly and in full,” he said.

He added that the ministry’s officers were now mandated to ensure that meaningful consultations are held with affected landowners with firm deadlines for completion of negotiations, with a view to ensuring that people’s needs are met as far as possible. Imbert said the Ministry now employs teams of trained negotiators and other land acquisition professionals, including behavioural scientists, surveyors, attorneys and valuators. He also said that this approach was working well.

On the issue of the Diego Martin Highway Extension (Sierra Leone to Wendy Fitzwilliam Boulevard), Imbert said that the project entailed a 1.2 kilometre extension of the Diego Martin Highway; upgrading and dualling of the Wendy Fitz-william Boulevard; two bridges; ten reinforced concrete culverts; 430 metres of retaining walls; three signalised intersections; street lighting (which are to be completed by TTEC); access roads to nearby properties; landscaping; roadside drainage and the noise barrier. Imbert added that the Noise Barrier Wall is expected to significantly reduce the noise level generated by the highway for residents in close proximity to the new roadway. He said another feature of the project was the construction of access ramps into the Diego Martin River to allow equipment from the Drainage Division to enter, clean and maintain the river.

He also added that in order to accomodate the significant increase in traffic as a result of the highway extension, the Wendy Fitzwilliam Boulevard had been upgraded to a four-lane divided road from Jasper Avenue in Diamond Vale to St Lucien Road. Imbert, also said that at times when he had hard words for the contractor, Jusamco Pavers Lim-ited, he told Junior Sammy that it was nothing personal.

“As one of the three elected representatives of the people of Diego Martin, and in my present capacity of Minister of Works and Transport, I have a duty and a responsibility to make my best effort to ensure that infrastructure projects are completed within the scheduled time,” he said.